8 – 9am 
Playgroup (ECC) staff arrive to set up for the morning session. 

9am 
Staff attend a forum on how community can respond to the increasing homeless on the streets. Families tumble into Playgroup. Preschoolers are outdoors enjoying the bikes, jungle gym and sandpit. A welcome reprieve for parents and an opportunity for them to attend the community learning centre classes. 

9 – 9:30am
Reception clears seven messages; all are calls seeking help with housing. The phone rings with a referral from a hospital social worker, seeking urgent housing for a mother with a newborn, who has no support and no suitable housing. Our social worker makes an appointment to meet with the new mum, to see how we can assist. 

 9:30am 
Tutors set up the community learning centre ready for computer and literacy class. Volunteers arrive to assist at Playgroup, computer class and to sort donated goods. The phone keeps ringing. 

10 – 10:30am
Reception is busy with families arriving. A social worker meets with a resident to follow up progress on their family plan. 

10:30am – 12pm 
Laughter comes from the English language class. All heads down and keyboards clicking as the computer class work on a certificated programme. Parents know computer literacy is vital for their own and their children’s learning. Preschoolers sit at tables ready for a morning tea of sandwiches and fresh fruit. Phone keeps ringing. 

12:15pm
The weekly delivery from Kiwi Harvest arrives with food from local supermarkets. It includes frozen meat and dairy products, vegetables, fruit and bread. Families are queueing to access the food. There has been a significant increase in families and seniors needing food parcels. Over 27% of Kiwi children live in households where food runs out sometimes or often. 

1pm 
Tenancy staff are busy cleaning and preparing empty units for new families waiting to move in. A furniture and kitchen pack is prepared to help a couple of senior citizens moving to new apartments locally. They are overwhelmed to finally be moving to a comfortable and secure home. 

1:30pm
An excited resident arrives to report Kāinga Ora has offered them a house. This has taken hard work from both the family and the social worker. They will be assisted with furniture and household goods to set up home. 

2pm
A social worker is concerned for a resident struggling on low wages. They book a budget appointment to assist with debt management. 

2:30pm
Phone rings with offers of beds. Our furniture van will collect later in the week – one of over 100 pickups yearly. 

3pm 
The sustaining tenancy social worker returns from visiting an older couple who are struggling to pay their rent. The 75-year-old woman has had had to give up work due to poor health. Her husband has been struggling with multiple health issues. The social worker will support them at a meeting with Work and Income to seek additional financial support and in-home help. They are thankful for the food and extra bedding provided by De Paul House. 

3:30 – 4:45pm 
Student volunteers arrive and assist rebagging bulk food for the food bank. A social worker interviews a family waiting to move into De Paul House. There are tears as they realise they will be housed, after facing many moves, around family and friends.